You need to work out what you want from the car. Do you want space? Is performance important? How many doors? What sort of transmission? Can you afford to keep it going? etc
Wagon, sedan, hatch, 4WD?
Remember running costs...
Aus cars and older Jap cars are cheap to service. 4cyls are better on petrol than 8cyls. Rotaries can be quite thirsty.
Corollas are great. They are cheap to buy and run. Sure - most are FWD, but they are still quite zippy. Alternatively, you could get an Aus delivered Sprinter (AE85 RWD) and as you save up, swap the engine for a 4AGE or 4AGZE. This way you can learn how a RWD car handles without having too much power to start.
Euros are very expensive to maintain. Older turbos may need expensive work soon. The more complex the car is - the more expensive it is to fix.
For under $10k I'd look at a Japanese 4cyl. Mazda 323, Ford Laser, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer. Cheap, fun and reasonable to maintain.
Just my 2c
Oh - if you want a 4WD, Ladas aren't as bad as people make out